Yen rises after BOJ minutes indicate monetary-stimulus limits

The yen strengthened against most of its 16 major counterparts after minutes from the Bank of Japan’s latest meeting showed one policy maker advocated restricting stimulus to a two-year period.

Japan’s currency advanced for a fourth day versus the dollar amid reduced speculation the Federal Reserve is about to slow its bond-buying stimulus that risks debasing the greenback. The Dollar Index rose for the first time in five days as a report a report showed wholesale prices increased more than forecast last month while industrial production was unchanged and June consumer confidence fell from a six-year high. The pound weakened from a four-month high versus the dollar as April construction data declined.

“The rebound in the yen has been going for a few weeks now and all the positions have been shaken out,” said Greg Anderson, head of global foreign-exchange strategy at Bank of Montreal, by phone from New York. “The economic data out this morning was a little bit dollar-positive. We’ll probably get a bit of a dollar uplift into the weekend.”

The yen strengthened 0.2% to 95.15 per dollar at 10:39 a.m. in New York, extending its advance this week to 2.5%. Japan’s currency appreciated 0.6% to 126.84 per euro after rising 0.4% yesterday. The dollar gained 0.3% to $1.3331 per euro.

Price Swings

The JPMorgan Global FX Volatility Index rose to 11.43% yesterday, the most since June 2012. The gauge has climbed from 7.05% in December, which was the lowest since July 2007, and was at 10.6% today.

The pound weakened against the dollar after advancing to a four-month high yesterday. Sterling dropped 0.2% to $1.5682 after climbing to $1.5738 yesterday, the highest level since Feb. 11. The pound fell after the Office for National Statistics said U.K. construction volume fell 6.5% in April from a month earlier.

“There is a consolidation today in the pound after reaching critical levels yesterday,” said John Hardy, head of foreign-exchange strategy at Saxo Bank A/S in London. Sterling “was not being able to take out the 200-day moving average at just above $1.57, so it’s come off that. That is one of those levels people definitely follow.”

Lira Advance

The Turkish lira gained for a fourth day against the dollar after the prime minister met with protesters to try to end more than two weeks of unrest. The lira gained 0.4% to 1.8535 per dollar after sliding to 1.9092 on June 11, the weakest since December 2011.

South Korea’s won rose the most in two months as Asian equities rebounded. The won rose 0.7% to 1,126.25 per dollar.

One-month implied volatility of the dollar-yen currency pair reached 18.9% yesterday, the most since March 2011, and was at 16.5% today.

The BOJ should specify a two-year limit for its unprecedented monetary easing to help quell bond-market volatility, according to one of the central bank’s board members cited in the minutes of the May 21-22 meeting released today.

The central bank could state that easing “should be restricted to about two years” and then be reviewed “in a flexible manner,” the board member said, according to the record of the meeting.